Sift together the flour, cocoa, salt and spices. Cream the butter and sugar till light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla. Add the dry ingredients to the butter and sugar mixture, mixing it well. Shape dough into a flat rectangle, and refrigerate for at least an hour.

Preheat oven to 350° F. Working with ¼ of the dough at a time (leaving the rest in the refrigerator), roll very thin between two sheets of plastic wrap. In order to roll this dough out uniformly thin, put two long bamboo skewers on either side of the dough and roll the dough between them. Cut into the shapes you want. Transfer to baking sheets lined with baking parchment or silicone mats. Minimize re-rolling the dough.

Bake 10-12 minutes or until crisp. Transfer to racks to cool.

Serve as is, or with vanilla ice cream.

Wine Pairing: Syrah, Reserve, and Nobile. These rich, chocolate cookies are not too sweet thus match the weight and richness of the red wine. The pepper and spices echo similar flavors in the wines.